


Beside The Water

by RefugeeofTumblr



Category: Five Nights at Freddy's
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2019-01-21 15:22:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12460533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RefugeeofTumblr/pseuds/RefugeeofTumblr
Summary: Jacob has to get away from his family for a while. He stumbles across one of his friends, and she reminds him that life has its good times too. Not everyone is out to get him.





	Beside The Water

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Beneath Their Masks: The Golden Rule](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6628384) by [Mazanica](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mazanica/pseuds/Mazanica). 



Hot sun beats down on Jacob’s back, even as cool breezes carry the heat away again seconds later. He walks and walks, tension slowly draining from his shoulders.

Eventually he’ll need to figure out what to do, where to go, but for now the rabbit’s legs carry him away and an overwhelming sense of freedom is soothing his pain. Jacob still feels a dull ache in one shoulder, but adrenaline helps him ignore it, and he doesn’t care enough to stop.

Veering away from the busiest streets, he heads off toward the smaller, winding roads that make up the Heights. Big, quiet houses overlook big, neatly-trimmed lawns; Jacob relaxes even more, his long rabbit ears perking up again to listen to the birds.

Soon his feet carry him onto a modest dirt trail. Trees rustle soothingly on each side. Jacob stops, glancing around, then steps to the very edge of the path and sets down the tiny backpack he’d been carrying over his shoulder.

Loosening the drawstrings, the rabbit takes inventory. Water bottle, check. Binder full of homework, check. He also realizes that, to his relief, he’d remembered to pack an extra change of clothes and his toothbrush. He won’t have to go back home until his dad has calmed down a bit. All that’s left to do is text his friends, really. Jacob’s hand even starts to reach for his pocket before he stops himself: it’s only noon, after all. He can arrange something later. The lake is right beyond the next bend in the trail, and before he knows it he’s slung his backpack across his shoulder and started to walk towards the water.

A soft jingling sound startles him, but it’s only a human walking their dog along the trail. The water laps invitingly against the edge of the shore, where grass gives way to a short, steep embankment. Jacob sets his backpack down and uses it as a pillow, stretched out lengthwise beside the embankment. Though his shoulder still smarts, it probably isn’t a serious injury this time. He pushes it to the back of his mind. Focusing on the sun’s relaxing warmth as it plays over his white-and-cream colored fur is more pleasant anyway.

His sensitive ears pick up the sounds of dog walkers and joggers passing nearby on the path, but Jacob ignores them too. Nobody bothers him; the rabbit isn’t doing anything remarkable, so people see what they want to see and pass by.

“Jake?”

Except, that is, for a young, silver-furred fox. She wanders over, smiling. Jacob opens his eyes when he hears her voice and sits up, which opens a space next to him so the fox can sit comfortably.

“Hey, Luna.”

She studies him. “You got your bag. Need a place to crash tonight?”

“Yeah,” the rabbit admits. “Are your parents out? We could call over Sweets and Robin for movie night.”

Luna’s smile widens, and she claps her hands together. The sound startles a nearby duck, which honks and flaps away, but that only makes the two share a grin. “Movie night sounds awesome,” the fox chirps. “When my mom and dad leave we can text the others. You can stay most of the day tomorrow, too, by the way! My parents are at a hotel tomorrow night and they only get back the next night.”

Jacob whistles appreciation. “Thanks. Must be a pretty important art show.”

Though Luna nods, her eyes have flitted down to watch their reflections in the water below. A blanket of gentle silence falls between them. Knowing that his friend is thinking about her parents again, Jacob puts an arm around the fox’s shoulders - a gesture of silent support - and closes his eyes. Some days, words ring hollow, and a comforting touch is all they have left to give.

Lapping water. Birdsong. A dog’s leash jingles.

THE END.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired, of course, by the lovely Beneath Their Masks series. Just a short fic, but I hope people enjoy it.


End file.
